Journals Information
Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 5(2), pp. 117 - 123
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.050201
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Right-wing Populist Parties and the Mellowing Down of Euroscepticism in Eastern Europe under the Influence of Europeanization
Philip Dandolov *
Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies, University of Bath, England
ABSTRACT
This paper examines two cases in which the European Union (mainly through its normative influences) reduces the playing space for nationalist parties or is a factor in their declining electoral fortunes, which nonetheless does not result in a marked transformation of the parties' ideologies in a staunchly anti-EU fashion. The Ataka party in Bulgaria and the HZDS in Slovakia both exemplify the principle of charismatic leadership and are regarded as strongly focused on nationalism, while also exhibiting populist and anti-establishment leanings. Ataka reached the height of its popular support between the mid and late 2000s and is currently represented in the National Parliament of Bulgaria. On the other hand, the HZDS was a significant factor in Slovak politics between the Velvet Divorce and the late 1990s, but is no longer active, as it was dissolved in January 2014. The conclusion reached by comparing the fortunes of these factions is that encouraging the imposition of a direct or indirect "cordon sanitaire" by the mainstream parties on anti-establishment ones under the direction of the EU could actually have a beneficial effect in terms of altering the party's orientation and moving its opposition to the EU within the "soft Euroscepticism" spectrum.
KEYWORDS
Euroscepticism, Europeanization, Nationalism, Populism, Eastern Europe, Slovakia, Bulgaria
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Philip Dandolov , "Right-wing Populist Parties and the Mellowing Down of Euroscepticism in Eastern Europe under the Influence of Europeanization," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 117 - 123, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.050201.
(b). APA Format:
Philip Dandolov (2017). Right-wing Populist Parties and the Mellowing Down of Euroscepticism in Eastern Europe under the Influence of Europeanization. Sociology and Anthropology, 5(2), 117 - 123. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2017.050201.